The present invention relates in general to surgical instruments and pertains, more particularly, to an improved jaw construction for a surgical instrument. The present invention also relates to a robotic medical system including master and slave stations, and an improved construction at the slave station.
One form of surgical instrument such as a laparoscopic instrument employs gripping jaws. These gripping jaws are limited as to the force that they can apply, particularly in telerobotic systems. This is due primarily to their small size and complex transmission mechanics, which restrict linkage size and maximum strength. However, rather than simply increasing, for example, cable tension, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved gripping mechanism that is operable without requiring large transmission forces.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gripping mechanism that may be used for an articulated laparoscopic instrument and which dramatically increases grasp strength with minimum transmission force.
To accomplish the foregoing and other objects of this invention, there is provided a robotic medical system that is comprised of a master station including an input device, a slave station at which is disposed a surgical instrument, and a controller coupled between the master station and the slave station and for receiving a command from the input device for controlling the movement of the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument includes a pair of jaw members, a first pivot for supporting the pair of jaw members, and a link member connected to one of the jaw members. A second pivot is provided for supporting the link member. The link member has a first unlocked position in which on jaw member is open relative to the other jaw member, and a second locked position in which the one jaw member is locked closed relative to the other jaw member.
In accordance with further aspects of the present invention the first pivot may support the jaw members at a common first axis. Also included is a rotatable member, and a third pivot for supporting the rotatable member. The link member has one and other ends and the second pivot supports the one end of the link member from the rotatable member. There may also be included a fourth pivot for supporting the other end of the link member from the one jaw. The one jaw may have a leg that extends into a recess in the other jaw member where the first pivot holds the leg in the recess with limited rotational pivoting enabled by the first pivot. Both the jaw members may include gripper ends.
In accordance with still further aspects of the present invention there may be provided a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member. There may also be provided a first cable secured to the first rotatable member rotating the first rotatable member in either clockwise or counterclockwise directions. The jaw members are preferably disposed, in their locked position, with the second, third, and fourth pivots disposed in a single plane. The first pivot is preferably disposed outside of this single plane. There may also be provided a second rotatable member for fixedly supporting the other jaw member. Both the first and second rotatable members are supported at a common third pivot. A second cable is secured to the second rotatable member for rotating the second rotatable member in either clockwise or counterclockwise directions.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a surgical instrument end effector apparatus, preferably controlled from mechanical cabling. This apparatus comprises a pair of jaw members, a first pivot for supporting the pair of jaw members, a link member connected to one of the jaw members, and a second pivot for supporting the link member. The link member has a first unlocked position in which the one jaw member is open relative to the other jaw member, and a second locked position in which the one jaw member is locked closed relative to the other jaw member.
In accordance with still further aspects of the present invention there may be provided a surgical instrument that comprises, an instrument body including, at a more proximal end, a rigid section, and, at a more distal end, a flexible section. A base is secured to the distal end of the flexible section. A first pivot rotatably supports one end of a link piece from the base and along a first pivot axis. A pair of jaws are provided along with a second pivot for rotatably supporting the jaws from another end of the link piece and along a second pivot axis. The second pivot axis is disposed substantially orthogonal to the first pivot axis whereby the first and second pivot axes provide at least two degrees-of-freedom of the jaws.